Rack or file for correspondence and the like



H. O ROSS RACK OR FILE FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND THE LIKE Mar. 2m, 1923. 1 95195 Filed Dec. 31, 1919 2 sheets-sheet l Man. 2(1 1923.

RACK OR FILE FOR CORRESPONDENCE AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 51, 1919 2 sheets-sheetfl 1%0622502 Mark/"Z $0515" RACK OR FILE FOECORRESPONDENCE AND THE LIKE.

Application filed fDecember 31, 1919.

To all whom it may, concern Be known that l, l-lnnnnnr 0. Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Racks or Files for Correspondence and the like, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part llll thereof.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful improvement in racks or files for correspondence and the like.

The chief object of my present invention is to provide a rack adapted to rest upon a desk or other such support and wherein letters, papers, documents, and the like pertaining or relating to diflerent matters or to different departments of business may be conveniently filed, on being assorted, for distribution in due course to the particular departments or for ready accessibility for use in connection with the particular matters.

ther objects of my invention are to provide a rack or file especially of the kind and for the purpose stated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in form and construction and neat and attractive in appearance, and in which the number of compartments, and hence the capacity, of the rack or iile may be increased or decreased with facility and convenience to meet the needs or requirements of any particular use or installation.

lVith th above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter de scribed and afterwards pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an end elevational view, partly broken away and in section, of a rack or tile constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View of the same, partly in section Figure 3 is a broken or fragmental pla iew of the blank from which the base of an intermediate section or unit is formed;

, tions 22.

Serial 350. 348,613.

Figure l is a fragmental perspective view of one of the intermediate sections or units of the rack;

Figure 5 is anenlarged fragmental detail sectional view, showing the preferred means by which two sections or units of the rack are connected detachably together;

Figure 6 is a fragmental perspective view of one of the end sections or units of the rack;

Figure 7 is a similar view of the other or opposite. end section or unit of the rack; and

Figure 8 is a broken fragmental plan view of the blank from which the base of an end section or unit is formed.

Referringnow more in detail to the said drawings, in which like reference characters refer to like parts'throughout the several views, the rack or file is made up of and comprises a pair of end sections or units and, generally in practice, one or more in termediate sections or units Each intermediate section or unit of the rack comprises a base A, which, as seen espe- 'cially in Figure 1, is approximately of inverted ll-shape in cross section. This base A is preferably formed from a single blank of material, such as, for instance, sheet metal, of suitable dimensions for the finished section,the. blank having the shape indicated in Figure 3. The blank is first cut or slit along the short dash lines ca -a, and then lengthwise bent along the dotted lines 6-?) to provide the floor-member 1 and the downwardly disposed legs or side por- The blank is then bent downwardly at its ends, as along the dotted line 0, to provide the vtront wall portions 33, Which, in turn, are bent or curled upwardly, as along the dotted line (Z, to provide base seats or channels 4 of index-card receiving pockets for the section. The blank is then suitably bent orcurled inwardly, as along the dotted lines 6, to provide the oppositely disposed ways 5 for co-operation with the channels orbase-seats 4: in forming the index-card receiving-pockets for the sections.

Each end section or unit of the rack comprises a base B, which is formed in like manner to the formation of intermediate bas A from the blank illustrated in Figure 8. This latter blank is identically similar to the blank illustrated in Figure 3, except that one of the legs or side portions 2 is provided preferably midway its length with an extension 6, which is bent upwardly, as along the dotted line 7", to form a pocket for receiving cards or the like. Except as stated, the base B of the end sections is preferably identically similar to the base A of the intermediate sections. It might be here statedthat, as seen in Figure 2, the side wall pockets 6 may, for convenience, be equipped or provided with calendars or the like.

The one end section comprises a base B and upright panels or walls 7--7 of suitable material, such as, for instance, sheet metal, heavy card-board, beaver-board, or the like,

which walls are disposed, as shown part1c-- ula'ry in Figure 7, upon opposite sides of the base with their lower portions disposed in fiatwise abutting position against the sideportions 2 of the base, and to which baseportions the walls 7 are rigidly fixed preterably by means of eyelet-rivets or the like 8, the walls'7 being of any suitable height and having a length corresponding'to the length of the base, as shown in Figure 2.

Spot-welded or otherwise suitably fixed to the outer "face of one of the walls 7 of the end-section, are angle-members or the like 9, which serve both as supporting-braces for the'end section or unit and also to add an attractive finish to the rack.

Each intermediate section comprises a base A and but a single upright panel or wall 7, this wall 7 beingdisposed, as shown in Figure 4, along one only of the side-portions 2 of the base and to which base-portion it is similarly fixed by rivets 8. The opposite or tree side-portion 2 of the base of the intermediate section is, however, provided with preferably square apertures or the like, as at 15, adapted to register with the eyelets 8 of an abutting or contiguous section or unit, for purposes shortly appearmg.

The other or opposite end section, .as illustrated particularly in Figure 6, is stantially similar in all respectsto the intermediate sections or units, as above de scribed, except that its upright panel or wall 7 is similarly, as in the other end section first described, equipped or provided with the supporting-braces 9, and a base B is employed in lieu of the base A of the intermediate section, so as to'likewise provide this end of the rack with a pocket 6.

In use or practice, should a rack of but two compartments be desired, the same may be conveniently formed of but two end sections, such sections being placed lengthwise side by side with the free side baseportion of one end section abutting fiatwise against the inner wall 7 of the other end section and the apertures 15 of the one secsub-' the finished rack.

Should a rack of three compartments be desired, an intermediate section is placed between the end sections, the eyelets 8 of one end section registering with the apertures 15 oi the intermediate section and the eyelets 8 of the intermediate section registering with the apertures 15 of'the other end section, when, by means of bolts 12 and nuts 13', as shown Figure 1, the several sections may be conveniently secured together, as shown, to likewise form the finished rack. In like manner, a rack or. file of my invention may be built up or extended to include any desired number ofintermediate sections and hence any desired number of compart-v ments, the several sections being readily tas tened and connected together as before described. i

In each instance, whether the rack or file be of two or more compartments, the co-opcrating seats l' and ways 5 provide at each end of each compartment a readily accessible pocket for receiving an index-card, such as the card 1 for indicating to the user the particular contents oi the compartment.

Thus I provide a rack or file well adapted for the purposes stated and one whose capacity and number of compartments may, with convenience and facility and practically at will, be increased or decreased, as

may be desired, the rack not only being an attractive addition to a desk, but also tend- I ing largely to increase the desk efficiency of the user, and beingone which may be inexpensively constructed and maintained.

I am aware that changes in the'form, construction, arrangen'ient, and combination of the several parts of my new raclror file may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat ent is:

' 1. A rack of the class described including, as a unit, an upright wall and a one-piece floonmember provided with approximately right angular marginal side portions, the wall being rigidly fixed flatwise at an end to one of the side portions of the floor-mem iae each unit comprising an upright Wall and a one-piece floor-member provided With approximately l-iglit angular marginal side portions, the Wall being rigidly fixed flatwise at an end to one of the marginal portions of the floor-member, in combination With fastening means having removable engagement With the other marginal portion of the floormember for detachably securing, the units together in connected relation.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

HERBERT O. ROSS. 

